Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pers plied ports from China to South America. A thriving whaling industry brought un-
precedented wealth to Nantucket and New Bedford. The USA's first water-powered
cotton-spinning mill was established in Rhode Island in 1793. In the years that followed,
New England's swift rivers became the engines of vast mills turning out clothing, shoes
and machinery.
But no boom lasts forever. By the early 20th century many of the mills had moved
south. Today education, finance, biotechnology and tourism are linchpins of the regional
economy.
Local Culture
New Englanders tend to be reserved by nature, with the Yankee brusqueness standing in
marked contrast to the casual outgoing nature of some other American regions. This ta-
citurn quality shouldn't be confused with unfriendliness, as it's simply a more formal re-
gional style.
Particularly in rural areas, folks take pride in their ingenuity and self-sufficient charac-
ter. These New Englanders remain fiercely independent, from the fishing-boat crews who
brave Atlantic storms to the Vermont small farmers who fight to keep operating inde-
pendently within America's agribusiness economy.
Fortunately for the farmers and fishers, buy-local and go-organic movements have
grown by leaps and bounds throughout New England. From bistros in Boston to small
towns in the far north the menus are greening.
One place you won't find that ol' Yankee reserve is at the ball field. New Englanders
are fanatical about sports. Attending a Red Sox game is as close as you'll come to a
modern-day gladiators-at-the-coliseum scene - wild cheers and nasty jeers galore.
Generally regarded as a liberal enclave, New England is in the forefront on progress-
ive political issues from gay rights to health-care reform. Indeed, the universal health-in-
surance program in Massachusetts became the model for President Obama's national
plan.
NEW ENGLAND IN…
One Week
Start in
Boston
, cruising the
Freedom Trail
, dining at a cozy
North End bistro
and
exploring the city's highlights. Next, tramp through the mansions in
Newport
, then
hit the beaches on
Cape Cod
and hop a ferry for a day trip to
Nantucket
or
